Last weekend our family had a chance to watch an advanced screening of the new movie RIO, which comes out in theaters today. I was excited to attend the screening for a couple of reasons: we had already seen various trailers and were wanting to watch it and we had not been to the movies since baby boy was born. We were hesitant to bring him along, but had no choice in the matter due to the fact that he won’t accept a bottle. Thankfully, baby boy did an amazing job! He actually watched part of the movie, nursed mid-way through, and then fell asleep towards the end.

I’m sure you’ve seen the trailers and have heard of the movie, but here’s a bit of background information from the official movie synopsis to help you learn what the movie RIO is about:

Blu is a domesticated Macaw who never learned to fly, living a comfortable life with his owner and best friend Linda in the small town of Moose Lake, Minnesota. Blu and Linda think he’s the last of his kind, but when they learn about another Macaw who lives in Rio de Janeiro, they head to the faraway and exotic land to find Jewel, Blu’s female counterpart. Not long after they arrive, Blu and Jewel are kidnapped by a group of bungling animal smugglers.

The opening sequence alone makes the movie worth watching in my opinion. Right away, my kids (baby boy included) and I were captivated by the vibrant colors and rhythms. Baby girl started dancing in her seat right away. As we say, ¡la música está en su sangre! Music lives in her blood and the fantastic drum beats of Samba moved her. You can actually take a sneak peek and see the opening sequence for yourself in this video of the first two minutes of RIO. For other RIO video clips and trailers, visit the RIO YouTube channel.

RIO had us laughing the whole time. In fact, the entire theater was full of laughter – both kids and adults. Complementing the laughs, were great music and amazing colors. It’s no surprise to me that the music was so great, since RIO includes original music by Sergio Mendes &will.i.am, both of whom I’m a fan. The movie also has the voice talent of Anne Hathaway, George Lopez, will.i.am, Jamie Foxx and Carlos Ponce, amongst others. The voices are a perfect fit for each character too.

We are still replaying some of the funniest scenes in our house. Probably the favorite scene for all of us was when Pedro, the bird voiced by will.i.am, sings “…Take her, take her to the floor. Show her, show her how you roll. Drop it, drop it, drop it low. Drop it low…” Our family truly enjoyed the movie RIO and I can’t wait for it to come out on DVD so we can watch it again!

Do you plan on watching RIO this weekend with your family? If they enjoy it as much as my family did, your kids may come home asking for more. As with most movies, there is a full line of RIO products available, including Angry Birds RIO, which my daughter promptly requested I download. You can also download this printable RIO kids activity sheet for your children to enjoy! And, finally, be sure to enter this giveaway for more RIO movie fun!

Giveaway

Enter for your chance to win a prize pack consisting of a RIO coloring book and crayons, plus a $25 Fandango gift card.

How to Enter

Required entry: If you’d like to enter this contest, simply leave a comment below telling us what you think you’ll like about RIO, based on the previews and information I provided.

Extra entries (optional):

Each of the following will count as 1 extra entry. You’ll need to leave a separate comment for each entry.

Write a blog post on your own blog sharing the details of this contest. Be sure to include a link back to this post. Leave a comment with your post link.

All entries must be in by Monday, April 25, 2011 at 11:59 pm EST. You must have a valid U.S. address to enter. Remember to leave a separate comment for each entry. The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified via email. (Please be sure to provide a valid email address with your entry.) Winner will have 48 hours to respond and claim prize, otherwise a new winner will be chosen.

Disclosure: I attended a complimentary advance screening of the movie RIO and received information in order to facilitate this review/giveaway. No compensation received. As always, all opinions and thoughts are my own. Affiliate links used.